Two former Rattlers up for BCFHOF enshrinement
Special to the Outlook
The Black College Football Hall of Fame recently announced its 14th Class. The eight inductees in the 2023 class were selected from a list of 25 finalists who were determined earlier by the BCFHOF Selection Committee.
Two former FAMU football players — Henry Lawrence and Tyrone McGriff — were among those selected for induction.
Henry Lawrence
Lawrence, a two-time Pro Bowl selection as an offensive lineman, started his FAMU career in 1970 and punished defenders for four seasons. Following the ’73 season, Lawrence was invited to the Senior Bowl and made a name for himself with how he blocked first-overall pick Ed “Too Tall” Jones.
A couple of months later, Lawrence became the Rattlers’ first and only first-round draft pick after John Madden and the Oakland Raiders drafted him 19th overall in 1974. Lawrence went on to play for 13 seasons for the Raiders and was part of three Super Bowl winning teams.
Tyrone McGriff
McGriff was also an offensive lineman who played for the Rattlers from 1976-79 under legendary Rudy Hubbard and was part of the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship team.
McGriff earned All-American honors in three consecutive seasons, starting in 1977. After graduating from FAMU, McGriff was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 12th round in 1980. McGriff spent three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which he was part of the 1980 Super Bowl winning team. After his three seasons with the Steelers, McGriff played three seasons in the USFL.
